Railways in the U.K. and Ireland

Travel by rail is an excellent way to get around Britain and Ireland, whether for business or pleasure.  The heavily populated areas have extensive coverage by rail systems that are often the most efficient means for getting around.  More remote regions have limited access to rail services, but they can be explored by using rail in combination with automobiles or regional bus services.

Many tourists find using one or more cities as a hub to be a practical and more relaxing way to explore an area.  There is an abundance of cities and towns that offer good accommodations and are within convenient travel distances by rail to places of interest that can be destination points for day trips.

Costs can often be reduced by purchasing passes or tickets in advance of travel.  Visitors from North America need to purchase Britrail passes before departure for their visit to Britain.  Check local stations for special offers.

There are several rail operating companies serving England, Scotland and Wales.  In most cases, one ticket will be sufficient to cover the entire route.  Some companies have routes that extend from England to Scotland and to Wales.

In Ireland, Northern Ireland Railways serves Northern Ireland and Irish Railways serves the Republic.  Both companies have routes that cross the border between Belfast and Dublin.

The National Rail Network web site is a portal providing access to all the major rail companies and on-line schedule information and reservation services.  This web site also provides advisory information regarding possible service problems, so it or an applicable rail operator's web site should be checked prior to any journey.

The National Rail Network has many links to places of interest in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales which will be very helpful for planning travel by rail. Some of the individual operators below have detailed maps on their web sites for their particular areas of service.  There is also a collection of links to heritage railways that will appeal to many visitors interested in this aspect of rail travel.  The UK Heritage Railways web site also lists historic railways and museums and provides a useful map of Britain showing locations.

Most cities have one rail station serving travelers; however, some larger cities have two or more so that passengers must determine which station is appropriate to their needs.

For more detailed information on regional rail services, choose one of the options in the navigation bar to the left or go to the rail pages for London, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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